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Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

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The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires the governor of each state to submit a four-year unified or combined state plan outlining the state’s workforce development strategy. The plan can be viewed on the Department of Labor and Industry’s website, and the draft for the 2024–2028 plan is available here.

Pennsylvania’s Combined State Plan includes the six WIOA Core programs: Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, Wagner-Peyser, Adult Basic Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation. It also includes the following optional programs:

  • Career and Technical Education Programs-Perkins Act
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program
  • Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers Programs
  • Jobs for Veterans State Grants Program
  • Senior Community Service Employment Program
  • Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Program
  • Community Services Block Grant
  • Unemployment Insurance

Some specific areas of interest to our members include the following goals:

  • Empowering individuals paid subminimum wages through 14(c) waivers to obtain CIE;
  • Expediting the Integrated Vocational Engagement & Support Team (InVEST) Project to assist individuals with disabilities, families, and community businesses with CIE engagement, supports, and services/resource coordination;
  • Increasing competitive integrated employment (CIE) opportunities for individuals with disabilities;
  • Increasing transition services for students with disabilities; and
  • Increasing statewide collaboration with the Bureau of Special Education (BSE) and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) to expand Pre-ETS across Departments.

Public comments will be accepted on Pennsylvania’s WIOA Combined State Plan until 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Please submit your comments electronically. Written comments may also be submitted by mail to:

PA Workforce Development Board
651 Boas Street | Room 514
Harrisburg, PA 17121

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A Special Session of the State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation has been announced and will be held on January 10, 2024, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm via Zoom. The purpose of the session is to discuss and seek approval of the VR portion of the State Plan as well as approval of the letter to Governor Shapiro. You can view both the agenda notice and information on connecting to the meeting.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-002: Qualification Process for New Intellectual Disability Autism (IDA) Provider Applicants Update. The purpose of this announcement is to communicate the process for Administrative Entities (AE) to validate that new Provider Applicants have satisfied all Waiver Provider Qualification requirements effective January 1, 2024.

NOTE: Announcement 23-054 Qualification Process for New Providers will become obsolete as of the date of this publication.

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This is a reminder that RCPA will be holding the first meeting for our newly-established Performance-Based Contracting/Selective Contracting for ODP Services Work Group on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm.

As the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) continues moving quickly on plans to migrate towards a performance-based contracting system, RCPA believes there is value in developing a work group for our members to keep informed and to prepare for future changes. We anticipate continuing to share news regarding any developments and updates from ODP and Strategic Thinking Work Group members both at these work group meetings and also in our IDD Committee meetings. More importantly, in this work group, we are encouraging discussion from members, with the goal of sharing thoughts and developing prudent strategies in order to prepare for performance-based contracting.

To begin this process, we will look at the proposed strategy from ODP and goals for the work group. As we move forward, we may determine it best to have meetings specific to Residential Services and Supports Coordination.

Please register here for the meeting, and come prepared to participate in a lively discussion. Questions can be directed to Carol Ferenz.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-001: Notice of a Change to the Federal Reimbursement of Transportation Costs Effective January 1, 2024. The purpose of this communication is to share that the United States General Services Administration announced a change for the rate of Transportation Mile reimbursement rate, procedure code W7271, beginning January 1, 2024. The new rate is $0.67 per mile. This communication provides notice of the rate change, as well as instructions for Supports Coordination Organizations (SCO) on how to add transportation mileage to the vendor screen. It also instructs direct service providers on how to submit claim adjustments, if applicable. This communication obsoletes ODP Announcement 23-005.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 23-106: Medication Administration Train-the-Trainer Quarter 1 (Q1) 2024 Course Schedule, which announces the 2024 Quarter 1 (Q1) Train-the-Trainer Face-to-Face course schedule. All Train-the-Trainer Face-to-Face classes will continue to be virtual through March 31, 2023. Classes for new trainers and recertifying trainers will be held separately. Please refer to Announcement 23-105 regarding important changes beginning January 1, 2024.

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